How to Pass a Drug Test: Common Methods Explained

by Alan PhamApril 02, 2020

How to Pass a Drug Test

Preventing drug abuse is a top priority for any business that wants to maintain a healthy work environment.

Despite modern 5 panel and 10 panel drug tests becoming more advanced and accurate with each year, employees are still on the lookout for how to pass a drug test, or in other words, how to cheat a drug test. Because of this, companies need to remain vigilant to prevent substance abuse from occurring.

It doesn't take too much research on the subject to stumble across numerous online “hacks” for how to pass a urine drug test, with many people claiming to have found approaches that even the most cutting-edge tests cannot detect.

To disprove the validity of those claims and dispel the myths about the best way to pass a drug test, let’s go over some of the more popular approaches below.

Diluting Urine Samples

The most common and the most straightforward way to cheat a drug test is the diluted urine approach, which centers around the premise that the more water you drink, the less amount of drugs will show up on the test.

Others try a similar approach to pass a drug test by adding water to their sample after it is collected.

However, even though this method may seem like the answer to the question of how to pass a drug test, it rarely, if ever, works out.

No matter how much water you might consume, trace amounts of substances will still be present. And if the sample is diluted or hard to read, you will be asked to submit another sample.

Substituting Your Urine

Those that have learned that diluting samples isn’t going to cut it when trying to pass a drug test usually move on to another common approach, which is trying to switch urine samples before submitting them for testing.

Some people simply ask for a clean urine sample from a friend, while others use liquid urine or even synthetic urine that could theoretically help pass the test. Those that are really desperate sometimes even try using animal urine in the hopes that it won’t be noticed.

However, even though this approach can work in theory, executing it is very difficult if not impossible. That, added to the high risk of getting caught and the astronomical consequences, makes this "trick" for passing a drug test one that is best kept as a theory.

Tampering With the Sample

Since replacing urine altogether is challenging and high-risk, some employees try to instead tamper with the urine, which results in an adulterated specimen that could skew the results.

There are many myths and speculations about which methods work, so people try mixing their samples with various chemicals or substances such as bleach, soap, or even eye drops.

However, urine samples are sent to laboratories, where experts are aware of the possibility of samples being tampered with, and have all the tools needed to detect added chemicals or substances without much difficulty. And even if some of the adulterants are not identified, the chances that they will cause the test to show a false negative are slim at best.

Other False Methods

Although the above three methods are the most popular when figuring out how to pass a urine test, other approaches have been used as well.

One relatively common approach is to delay the test for as long as possible in the hopes that by the time it is taken, the drug will have already left the system. But although this may work in delaying the test for a few days, many substances can be detected for extended periods, so the addition of several days generally won’t make much of a difference.

There are also plenty of “detox” products that promise to clear the body of the traces of drugs, but most of them have little scientific basis. These will not help in passing a drug test.

How and When Cheaters Get Caught

Now that we’ve gone through some of the main false ways of faking tests, let’s look at why cheaters almost always get caught.

For one thing, most companies today use random drug testing, which makes it almost impossible to prepare to cheat or even Google some of the methods on this list.

What’s more, companies are aware of the most common ways to pass a drug test, so they take them into account and have developed methods for spotting these attempts.

Consequences of Being Caught Cheating a Drug Test

Most people’s primary fear when taking a drug test is the possibility of losing their job because of a positive test result. But while that is a daunting prospect, it’s exponentially less severe than the potential ramifications for trying to cheat a drug test.

In 18 states, cheating on a drug test is a punishable offense, which can result in a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail.

And if you get caught while applying to a government position, attempting to cheat a drug test is considered a federal offense, meaning you would face fines and potential jail time as well.

Countrywide Testing

Although you are likely to find plenty of advice on how to pass a drug test online, most of the anecdotal stories are either theoretical and untested, or a method that no longer works due to the advancement of drug testing. It’s always a better idea to be honest and stay away from illegal substances in the first place.

If you want to learn more about the different types of drug tests that are available, Countrywide Testing has a wide range of options to choose from. Shop our store now or call us at (469) 389-2120 to learn more!